Adjustable steering post



L. TVElDT 2,185,779

ADJUSTABLE STEERING POST 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 15, 1937 ZIQ/Z/ 21Jan. 2, 1940. L TVElDT I 2,185,779

ADJUSTABLE STEERING POST Filed Oct. 13, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 PatentedJan. 2, 1940 UNITED S'I'Tfi 3 Claims.

My invention consists in a new and useful improvement in adjustablesteering posts for automobiles and is designed to provide a device forsteering an automobile which can be easily and quickly adjusted, inorder to position the steering wheel at the proper height relative tothe di ivers seat to accommodate the particular driver of the car. Theparticularly novel and useful features of my device are the means whichI provide to mount adjustably both ends of the steering rod. In mydevice the lower end of the rod, provided with the standard mechanislsfor controlling the front wheels of the car, is pivotally mounted bymeans or a novel mount comprising bearings carried by the car chassisand a housing pivoted therein for carrying the steering mechanism, andthe upper end of the steering rod, having the standard steering post andsteering wheel, is provided with a novel form of supporting meanswhereby the steering rod is related adjustably to the body of the car.My improved device is designed so that the steering rod can operateeither directly upon the steering knuckle of one front wheel and throughit upon the steering knuckle of the other front wheel, or directly uponboth steering knuckles.

WhileI have illustrated in the drawings and have hereinafter fullydescribed two specific embodiments of my improved device, it is to bedistinctly understood that I do not consider my invention limited tosaid specific embodiments, but refer for its scope to the claimsappended hereto.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved device installed in operativeposition.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the supporting means on the line 33 ofFig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line l4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the supporting means on the line 55 ofFig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

Fig. '7 is a top plan view showing the mechanism connecting the steeringrod and the steering knuckles of the front wheels.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 but showing a modified form ofconnecting means between the steering rod and the steering knuckles.

As illustrated in the drawings, my device has a pair of L-shapedbrackets l bolted to the lower edge of the instrument board B. A housing2 is bolted to these brackets l by means of wings 3 thereon. The housing2 is provided in its top and bottom with openings 4 through which passthe arms 5 of a U shaped hanger 6 received through the housing 2. 2 arethe sliding locking members i so disposed. that when they are movedapart their teeth 8 interlock with the teeth 9 on the arms 5. Themembers i are provided with inner convergent faces it with which co-actthe divergent faces ii of the wedge l2 disposed between the memhers land extended forwardly through an open- '20 of the chassis, I provide ahousing consisting of the co-acting members and 22 attached to eachother by bolts 23, the member 25 being attached to the beam 2t by bolts2 The members 2i and 22 are provided with aligned hearing 25 in whichare journaled trunnions 2'5 of a housing 23 disposed within the outerhousing formed by the members 2i and it, and having two alignedextensions 28 and 2&3 extending outside of the said outer housing. Iprovide a rock shaft 30 journaled in the members 2i and 22, and passingthrough the trunnions 26, housing 27 and beam 23, and having mountedthereon a mutilated pinion Si by a key 32, Within the housing 21.Suitably mounted in the extension 28 of the housing 21 is the lower endof the tubular sleeve 33 for the steering rod 34 journaled in theextension 29. Thesleeve 33 has its upper. end carried on the bottom ofthe hanger t by the stirrup B-'a bolted to the hanger 6.

Mounted on the steering rod 34 and suitably disposed in the housing 21there is the Worm 35 mcshingwith the pinion 3i. Carried by the rockshaft to is the crank-arm 2% having the ball-and-socket connection S'lwith the link 38 connected with the steering knuckle 3% of the leftfront wheel ll! of the automobile having the crank arms M and link 42 toconnect it with the right front wheel G3.

The steering rod 34 has the ordinary steering Wheel 44 rotatably mountedon the sleeve 33.

In the modified form of my device, illustrated Carried in the housingiii) ill)

in Fig. 8, the extension on the forward side of the housing 21' isdesigned to form a journal for the steering rod 46 and allow the outerend 4? of the steering rod 45 to pass outwardly so that its crank-arm 48has the ball-and-socket connection 48 with the link 50 connected byballand-socket connection 5i with the lever 52 pivoted on the axle 53. Iprovide a link 54 pivotally attached to the lever 52 and each of thecrank-arms 55 for the front wheels 56.

From the foregoing description of the details of construction of mydevice, its use and. operation will be obvious. By loosening the wingnut l8, the members I will be released from pressure by the wedge 52 andwill be so drawn together by the springs l9 that the teeth 8 will bewithdrawn from contact with the teeth 9 of the arms 5 of the hanger ii.The wheel 44 may then be adjusted to the desired position, the hanger 6moving in the housing 2, and the housing 21 in which the lower end ofthe steering rod 34 is journaled, rocking on its trunnions 26 in thebearings 25. When the wheel 414 has been properly positioned, the wingnut I8 is tightened, expanding the elements I by the wedge l2 andcausing the teeth 8 to interlock with the teeth 9 and fasten the hanger6 in relation to the fixed housing 2, thereby firmly supporting thesteering post and the wheel 44 in desired position.

Having described my invention, what I claim 1. In an adjustable steeringpost, the combination of a housing adapted to be mounted on theinstrument board of an automobile; a pair of arms slidable through saidhousing and provided with means for connection to a steering postpivotally mounted on the chassis of an automobile; a pair of blocksslidably mounted in said housing; wedge means interposed between saidblocks and adapted to force said blocks into clamping engagement withsaid arms to prevent movement of said arms relative to said housing.

2. In an adjustable steering post, the combination of a housing adaptedto be bolted to an automobile chassis, and having two aligned bearings;a second housing provided with hollow trunnions journaled in saidbearings,- and having two aligned bearings transversely disposedrelative to said trunnions; a rock shaft journaled in said trunnions andhaving a crank for connection with the steering knuckles of the forwardwheels of the automobile; and a steering rod journaled in the bearingsof the second housing and provided with means adapted to rock saidshaft.

3. In an adjustable steering post, the combination of a housing adaptedto be bolted to an automobile chassis, and having two aligned bearings;a second housing provided with hollow trunnions journaled in saidbearings, and having two extensions projecting outside said firsthousing; a rock shaft journaled in said trunnions and having a crank forconnection with the steering knuckles of the forward wheels of theautomobile; and a steering rod journaled in the extensions of the secondhousing and provided with means adapted to rock said shaft.

- LARS TVEIDT.

